Filler neck and air vent unit for water tanks



Oct. 7, 1952 P. E. VAN PELT FILLER NECK AND AIR VENT UNIT FOR WATERTANKS Filed Dec. 17. 1949 {NVENTOR .PercyL. Us) Pelt ATTORNEYS PatentedOct. 7, 1952 FILLER NECK AND AIR VENT UNIT FOR WATER TANKS Percy E. VanPelt, Oakdale, one. Application December 17, 1949, Serial No. 133,629

This inventionis directed to, and it isan bject to provide, a novelfiller neck and air ven t unit for water tanks; the device beingespecially 2 Claims. (Cl. Mil-44) designed, but not limited, for useonthe water tank of a rural type fire engine.

Another object of the invention is to provide a filler neck and air ventunit, as above, Whose purpose is to permit rapid filling of the tankwith water, and to prevent slopplng or splashin of the water from thetank when the vehicle accelcrates, decelerates, traverses turns, orthelike; I

the venting arrangement being operative to assure against undue pressurein the tank when filling, and undesirable vacuum when pumping from saidtank. I

An additional object of the invention is to provide a filler neck andair vent unit, for water tanks, which is of relatively. large diameterso that the tank can be filled by a water hose inserted in the neck orby water, poured from buckets; the arrangement being such that althougha large-diameter filler" neck is employed, cooperative parts preventsubsequent slopping or splashing from said neck. I I

A further object of the inventionis to provide a filler neck and airvent unit, for the purpose described, which is designed for ease andeconomy of manufacture and installation; the unit being convenient touse and ever ready to function without manua1 attention.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a practical andreliable filler neck and. air vent unit for water tanks, and onewhichwillbe exceedingly effective for the purpose fo which itisdesigned.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relativearrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal'of the followingspecification and claims. I

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of the filler neck and air vent unit asmounted on a water tank.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the flap valve.

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.'

Referring now more particularly to the charac- I 3 secured over a,preformed opening 4 in the tank top 2 by means of cap screws 5; thelower portion of said filler neck depending through said opening andbeing in the form of an elbow 6 whose I 2 I I lower end 1 openshorizontally in a lengthwise direction with respect to the tank.

A plate-like flap valve 8 is transversely hinged, as at 9; on mountingears I0 directly above the lower end I of the elbow 6, and normallydepends in positionto swing against and close said end, as at l I.

When water is fed into the tank T throughthe filler neck I, the flapvalve 8 swings from its full-line position to its dotted-line position,as in Fig. l, to permit of free or unrestricted flow into said tank.

However, when the vehicle, upon which the tank T is mounted, istraveling, the flap valve '8 depends by. gravity to its closed position,thereby preventing any substantial splashing or slopping of water fromwithin the tank upward- I ly in the filler neck I. This is extremelyadvantageous; as otherwise water from the tank would slop or splash intothe filler neck I when the vehicle accelerates or. clecelerates rapidly,or negotiates a turn.

In addition to itSxfHIlOtlOIl to block the open lower end 'I of theelbow 6,the flap valve 8 serves, through the medium of a dependingtongue I2 in-- cluded in said valve, to similarly block the outlet endI3 of a filler pipe I4 which extends into the I tank T throughone end I5thereof and terminates immediately below said lower end 1.. 30

Exteriorly of I thc'tank T the filler pip I4 is coupled to a valvedmanifold system (not shown) s source, with or without the'booster actionof the I ployed-on theupper end of saidneckj The cap I6 includes anannular depending flange Ii which surrounds the neck I in spacedrelation, as at I8, and a baiile sleeve I9 is fixed in the capconcentric to the flange I1, and depends some distance into the neck I,with space therebetween as at it.

The upper edge of the filler neck I is notched at circumferentiallyspaced points, as at 2|, while the battle sleeve I9 has acircumferential row of ports 22 therethrough intermediate its ends.

A handle 23 is fitted on the top of the cap It 7 to permit ofthe lattersmanual removal or replacement with case.

With the above described cap any water in the filler neck I cannotescape the same, yet free air venting out of, or into, the tank canoccur by reason of the spacing I8 and 20, and the notching 2|.Additionally, if any undue air surgeor pressure occurs in the tank T thecap I6 is free to pop up on the filler neck I until the ports 22 areexposed above said neck whereby to immediately relieve said air surge orpressure. Such a condition might exist with the tank T being filledthrough the filler pipe [4.

The described cap I also is advantageous to permit of free air entryinto the tank when water is being pumped from the latter; such free airentry being desirable to the end that the creation of a vacuum in thetank is prevented.

Any air which may pocket in the tank at the top thereof above the elbow6 during filling operations vents upwardly in an external passageway 24on the outside of the filler neck I; such passageway opening at itslower end through the attachment plate 3 and into the tank, as at 25,while the upper end of said passageway opens, as at 26, into the fillerneck I intermediate its ends, and at a point slightly above the normalposition of the lower end of the baflie sleeve I9.

In order to prevent air pocketing in the top of the tank at pointsremote from the filler neck I, one or more auxiliary vent pipes 2'! leadfrom said points along the under side of the top of the tank 2 andupturn into the passageway 24, as at 28.

With the described filler neck and air vent unit, the tank T can befilled either through the filler neck I or filler pipe [4; the fillerneck I being adapted primarily for use to fill the tank from a hose orwater buckets. When the filler neck is so used, the Water flow from thelower end opening I of elbow 6 forces flap valve 8 to. open position sothat the water flow into the tank is fast and relatively unrestricted.

Similarly, when water .is being fed into the tank T from the filler pipeI4, the force of such water discharging from the outlet end I3 throwsthe flap valve 8 to an open position with respect to the lower endopening "I of the elbow 6; the tank then being fully and effectivelyvented through the neck I during the period of time that filling of thetank from the filler pipe M is taking place.

Thus, with the particular venting arrangement, as shown and described,the creation of undesirable pressure when filling the tank, andadditionally undesirable vacuum when pumping, is avoided; both withoutmanual attention on the part of the operator.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there hasbeen produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of theinvention, as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferredconstruction of the device, still in practice such deviations from suchdetail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit ofthe invention, as set forth herein.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new anduseful, and upon which Letters Patent are desired:

1. A filler neck and air vent unit for a water tank, comprising anupstanding filler neck mounted in connection with the tank top andextending above and below the same, the lower end portion of the fillerneck being in the form of an elbow opening substantially horizontally inthe tank, and a flap-valve hinged above said elbow opening and normallydepending in closure relation thereto; there being a filler pipeextending into the tank, said filler pipe including an outlet end belowand substantially vertically alined with said elbow opening and openingin the same direction as the latter, and the fiap valve including alower portion depending in normally closing relation to said outlet endof the filler pipe.

2. A filler neck and air vent unit for a water tank, comprising anupstanding filler neck mounted in connection with the tank top andextending above and below the same, the lower end portion of the fillerneck being in the form of an elbow opening substantially horizontally inthe tank, a fiap-valve'hinged above said elbow opening and normallydepending in closure relation thereto, an air vent passagewaycommunicating between the tank at the top adjacent but independent ofthe filler neck and the latter at a point above said tank top, and avented cap removably disposed on the upper end of the filler neck; saidcap including a baflle sleeve depending into the filler neck inclearance relation and the sleeve terminating at its lower end belowsaid point.

PERCY E. VAN PELT.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name 'Date 1,217,732Fedders Feb. 27, 1917 1,226,199 Evans May 15, 1917 1,396,606 VincentNov. 8, 1921 1,400,511 Baker Dec. 20, 1921 1,482,534 Woodbridge Feb. 5,1924 1,775,557 Holbingsworth Sept. 9, 1930 1,822,655 Hamilton Sept. 8,1931 2,066,202 Jay Dec. 29, 1936 2,138,104 Kellogg Nov. 29, 19382,365,695 Grice Dec. 26, 1944 2,371,296 Hopwood Mar. 13, 1945 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date 3,890 Great Britain Feb. 17, 1909 223,823Germany July 2, 1910

